The present invention generally relates to weatherstrips for vehicles and more particularly, to a weatherstrip for the seal gap in the door assembly of a vehicle. The weatherstrip provides a constant or complete seal between the door and vehicle body so as to reduce noise attributed to air passing through the seal gap as the vehicle moves.
In all vehicles, a seal gap defined as the void space created between the door or body flange and the door assembly is present. As is known, weatherstrips, which are oftentimes referred to as sealing strips, are used to sea]. this seal gap. This is an effort to reduce wind noise caused by air passing through such a void space at high velocities. In the past, weatherstrips for vehicles were attached to the door flange around the door opening and a resilient hollow bulb or bead was affixed thereto for purposes of sealing the door opening and cushioning the force with which the door contacted the bead upon closing.
Yeomans, U.S. Pat. No. 4,030,245, is representative of the vast array of past weatherstrips of this type. More specifically, Yeomans discloses a channel-shaped sealing strip which has a gripping portion for attachment to the door flange and an integrally joined sealing portion in the shape of a bead or bulb. These types of weatherstrips, however, provide for an incomplete or nonconstant seal between the door and the weatherstrip in that the seal gap width varies around the door opening. This variation is largely attributed to the limitations of assembly tolerances. For example, vehicle assembly facilities typically build a seal gap having a tolerance of .+-.3 mm which is relatively large in view of the typical nominal seal gap width of about 14 mm.
As a result, the bulb or bead portion of prior art weatherstrips does not contact the door completely around the door opening when it is closed. This incomplete or non-constant seal leads to an increased level of noise heard by passengers seated in the interior or the vehicle which is caused by wind to which the vehicle is subjected as it moves. While it is more desirable to have a weatherstrip having more material so as to achieve a complete seal, the additional material increases the closing force necessary for closing the door of the vehicle which is undesirable. Thus, it would be desirable to have a weatherstrip which provides a more complete seal between the door and the weatherstrip yet does not increase the amount of closing effort necessary to close the door on a vehicle. In that regard, the closing effort should not exceed a force of about 19 lbs.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a weatherstrip which provides a complete seal between the door and the weatherstrip in the seal gap of a vehicle door assembly. There is also a need for such a weatherstrip which does not require an excessive amount of closing effort to close the door of a vehicle.